Photocatalytic activities of Pt/ZIF-8 loaded highly ordered TiO2 nanotubes

The structural and photocatalytic properties of Pt/ZIF-8 loaded TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) are investigated and compared to Pt/TiO2 NTs. The loaded ZIF-8 nano crystallites were in the range of 20-40 nm and adhered well to the inner and outer lateral surfaces of the nanotubes. A uniform coverage of the ZIF-8 on the surfaces of TiO2 NTs was observed by SEM. EDX results revealed 18.1% loading of ZIF-8 on the TiO2 NTs. An increase in photocatalytic properties of ZIF-8 loaded TiO2 NTs was observed by photodegradation of phenol in a 15 mL batch reactor. The resulting Pt/ZIF-8 loaded TiO2 NTs composite were characterized by UV-vis, XRD and SEM.